The following pictures are of the crew boat SEA SEARCHER, the drilling rig we serviced, and the trips up and down the Atchafalaya River, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route. I was working for Y & S Marine.

The crew boat SEA SEARCHER, is a Breau Baycraft built, all aluminum 65 foot boat, that is USCG certified to carry 20 passengers and four crew. She has an aft deck for cargo that is 14 X 14 feet. She carries 1200 gallons of fuel in two tanks, and 600 gallons of water in two tanks. The SEA SEARCHER is powered by two Detroit Diesel 12-71 engines that develop 450 HP each. She also has on board a 20 KW Gen Set, that is powered by a Detroit Diesel 2-71 engine. SEA SEARCHER typically runs at 20 kts, but speed can vary depending on amount of cargo, and the current in the river. The dock which we operated out of is located in Berwick, Louisiana.

The first group of pictures are of the interior and exterior. This particular crew boat is well laid out as a live aboard boat, and can still carry 20 passengers and four crew. The lay out is generally the same for a 65 foot Breau Baycraft. The crews quarters are under the wheelhouse, and the entrance to the quarters is through doors in the main cabin. The number of bunks in the crew's quarters varies, but on SEA SEARCHER there are three bunks. It can get a little crowded with three men, all of their clothes and personnel items.

The wheelhouse on the SEA SEARCHER has the steering station, and forward engine controls. All of the electronics to navigate the boat are in the wheelhouse. Right behind the steering station and still in the wheelhouse is a bunk. There is a door on either side of the wheelhouse to gain access to the outside deck. Beside the bunk is the ladder to the main cabin.

On the starboard side forward of the main cabin is the galley. Most forward is the electric stove and oven. Aft of the stove is a wrap around island that has food, dishes, cooking utensil, and cleaning supply storage under. On top of the island is the sink, coffee maker, and microwave. The microwave faces aft. The refigerator/freezer is located aft inside the island, so there is access from the galley. Aft of the wrap around island are two bench type seats for six passengers. Aft of the bench seats is the head with a marine head.

On the port side forward, just beside the ladder from the wheelhouse is the entrance to the crew quarters, and beside that is a lounge with bench seats for five passengers. This is the media area, because the TV is on the table in that lounge. Just aft of that lounge is another lounge with bench seats for six passengers, and the table between the two bench seats. Aft of the second lounge is another bench seat for three passengers. Aft of that bench seat is a storage area for life perservers, tools and spare parts. Aft of the storage area is the shower room. Between the port shower room and the starboard head is the hatch out to the aft deck, and the stern controls.

Now comes the best part of the job. As I mentioned before we were running in the Atchafalaya River, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route. We were actualy in the Atchafalaya River river for about two miles and the remainder of the run was up or down the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route. At about mile 21 on the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route, we took the Old River route for about five miles to the actual drilling rig. The drilling rig is west of an area in Louisiana called Pierre Part. You are really in the cypress swamps of Louisiana! On every daylight trip it was very easy to spot at least 10 Bald Eagles. These are just magnificent birds. As I mentioned, it was easy to spot them, but not so easy to get a picture of them in a boat moving at 20 knots! This next group of pictures shows my efforts at getting shots of these magnificent birds.

Watch a video of a very special eagle named Challenger.

The next group of pictures are of the area were we docked in Berwick. It is the Intracoastal Liquid Mud dock, or ILM Dock for short. There are also pictures of the cypress swamps we went through, and the many tows on the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route. I also included some shots of the various docks we passed as we went up and down the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route, and of the other crew boat that was working with us, the ABRAHAM. I also have one photo of patrol boats being built at the Swiftships yard in Morgan City For the Iraqi Navy.

All of the pictures I have of the actual drilling rig are included with the pictures of the J W Boodee, a crew boat I worked on as a spot job for two weeks.